Lord Of The Rings actor Andy Serkis defends Scarlett Johansson being cast as a trans man: Actors should be able to play anything
Lord Of The Rings actor Andy Serkis has defended Scarlett Johansson after the backlash of her being cast to play a transgender man in movie Rub & Tug.
After she accepted the role of Dante Tex Gill, a notorious massage-parlour operator in the 70s and 80s, Scarlett received a huge amount of backlash from people who argued that the role should be played by a transgender person.
However, Andy, whos well-known for playing Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings films, wasnt one of them
He told Variety: I absolutely disagree. I really, vehemently disagree.
He added: Actors should be able to play anything, and thats why I love performance capture technology.
What should be the point is that whatever colour your skin is, whatever shape you are, whatever height you are, whatever your makeup is as an actor, you should have the ability to play anything.
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Its a controversial view to say the least.
Scarlett decided to pull out of the film not long after her casting, following the huge amount of backlash.
Explaining to Out Magazine in a statement, she said: In light of recent ethical questions raised surrounding my casting as Dante Tex Gill, I have decided to respectfully withdraw my participation in the project.
Our cultural understanding of transgender people continues to advance, and Ive learned a lot from the community since making my first statement about my casting and realize it was insensitive.
I have great admiration and love for the trans community and am grateful that the conversation regarding inclusivity in Hollywood continues.
According to GLAAD, LGBTQ+ characters dropped 40% in 2017 from the previous year, with no representation of trans characters in any major studio release.
While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dantes story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person.
More: Scarlett Johansson
It wasnt the first time Scarlett was criticised for her role choices as she was accused of whitewashing 2017 film Ghost In The Shell.
Scarlett was controversially cast as Major Motoko Kusanagi, a character who was Japanese in the original series that the film was based on.
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